{apricot jam in hermie}

I'm not one of those people who are lucky enough to have a large backyard to grow my own fruit and vegetables so for the whole of summer, I've been on the lookout for cheap, nearly overripe apricots. Why? Because Apricot Jam is Mr S's most favourite jam flavour and I can see why. He has grown up with amazing Auntie's that have made jam for most of his childhood and having tasted it myself, it's super tasty. It has a beautiful chunky texture (so you know there are real apricots in there) and the orange colour is vibrant and natural.

I don't have their recipe but I'm trying to do Apricot Jam justice. This is best served on a chunky piece of toast with a dollop of thick cream in the middle. Or, if you're more adventurous, make some homemade rough puff pastry and fill with jam for an Apricot Danish. Delish!

650-700 grams apricot, quartered and de-stoned
1 green apple, quartered and de-seeded
30 grams lemon juice
450grams raw sugar
150grams water (1.5 MC's)

1. Add apple to TM bowl and chop 3secs/ speed 6. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
2. Add apricot, lemon juice and sugar to bowl. Cook 80mins/ 100C/ speed2 with MC on it's side (or the TM basket on the top).
3. Pour into sterilised jars. I find using my old baby bottle steriliser the easiest way to sterilise jars. If you don't have one of these lying around, sterilise the old fashioned way either boiling or putting them in the oven (Disclaimer: make sure you read up how to do this properly!)

Bon Appetit!

Makes about 2x 400ml jars

Tip: If you want a smooth jam, wait until it has cooled for about 15mins and then blend 1min/ speed9.

{green papaya and crab salad with hermie}

This is a traditionally a vietnamese salad and is based on Luke Nguyen's salad that can be found here. It's so easy to make with the help of the Thermomix because you can put all the dressing ingredients in Hermie to cook and then get on with the task of julienning the green papaya (or mango) and removing the crab meat from the shells. Today, we're celebrating Valentine's day and this will be served as the entree for our dinner. Enjoy!

salad Ingredients:

5 perilla leaves
5 mint leaves
5 Vietnamese mint
5 Asian basil leaves
1 green papaya (paw paw), peeled and julienned
2 blue swimmer crabs, cooked and meat removed
1 long red chilli, stem removed
1 tablespoon fried red Asian shallots
1 tablespoon fried garlic chips
1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts (optional)

nouc mam cham dipping fish sauce:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bird’s eye chilli, stem removed

60 grams fish sauce
60 grams rice vinegar
40 grams sugar

125 grams water
40 grams lime juice

1. Place perlilla, mints and basil leaves into TM bowl. Chop 3 secs/ speed5. Set aside for later. Rinse the bowl out for step 2 (no need to dry).

2. We now proceed to the dipping sauce. Place the garlic and chilli into TM bowl and chop 3 secs/ speed6. Set aside in a bowl that you will later use to mix the rest of the dressing in. Scrape down the sides.

3. Add the fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and water to the bowl and cook 6mins/ 90C/ speed1. 

4. Meanwhile, julienne the papaya and place in bowl with the reserved herbs from step 1. 

5. Squeeze lime juice onto lid of TM bowl (so the pips don't fall in and mix 2secs/ speed 2.

6. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

7. Slice red chilli and add this and crab to bowl with papaya and herbs.

8. When ready to serve, drizzle over sauce, mix and serve immediately.

Bon Appetit xx

Serves 2

Tips: If you julienne the papaya or mango before hand, you can keep them crisp by storing them in a bowl and covered with ice water.

{acar awak (spicy pickled mixed vegetables) in hermie}

Acar awak is one of those dishes that I remember from a child that my mum would make and then store in recycled glass bottles in the fridge and wonder what was so good about it. Now I realise that this was something that reminded her of growing up in Malaysia and the memories that it brought back when eating it. I think it also has something to do with the fact that when I was young, I couldn't eat much of it because it was quite chilli hot and although I make it now, I don't down size the chilli factor because I think it makes the dish what it is. Having said that, it again is a fine line between eating pleasure and eating pain when I eat this dish. It will keep in the fridge for a good couple of weeks if you don't add the peanut to it. I personally don't add peanuts because we have a nut allergy in the house.

Vegetables:
1/2 continental cucumber, cut into 3 cm long strips with seeds removed
1 carrots, cut into 3cm strips
150 grams green beans, cut into 3 cm lengths
100-200 grams cabbage, cut into 3cm thick
100 grams cauliflower, cut into small florets

Pickling Liquid:
450grams water
300grams white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Spice Paste:
15 dried chillies, soaked in hot water
10-15 grams belacan
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 grams galangal
1 stalk lemongrass
2 tablespoons coriander seeds

30 grams vegetable oil (I use canola)
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar

1. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for the spice paste.
2. Add all ingredients for the pickling liquid into the TM bowl. Heat for 8mins/ 100C/ speed 1.
3. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables as above for pickling. 

4. While the liquid is still hot, set the controls to 2.5mins/ varoma/ reverse/ stir speed. When it boils, remove the MC and add the prepared vegetables through the hole. Drain in a colander. Dry the TM bowl.
5. Add belacan into dry TM bowl. Dry roast 5mins/ varoma/ speed 1.
6. Add in rest of the spice paste ingredients and blend 15-20secs/ speed 7 or until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl.
7. Add vegetable oil into TM bowl and saute 6mins/ varoma/ speed 1.
8. Add sugar, salt and vinegar to TM bowl and cook 2mins/ varoma/ speed 1/ reverse.
9. Finally, add the pre-pickled vegetables and stir through with spatula. Cook a further 1mins 30secs/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
10. Store in a clean (preferably steralised) container in the fridge. Serve sprinkled with peanuts as a side dish to something like beef rendang.

Acar served here as part of Nasi Lemak

Makes about 800grams.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: The vegetable quantities that I've listed above are just a guide. I basically just use what I have in the fridge and what can fit into the TM bowl. In the photos above, you can see that I forgot to add the cauliflower but it still tastes delicious! Also, belacan or dried shrimp paste can be found in all good Asian Grocery stores. Finally, I prefer to make this a day or 2 before being eaten as the flavour develops over those days and it tastes so much more better!

{dried prawn sambal in hermie}

Growing up in a Chinese/Malaysian household in Australia has it's advantages. One of those is the array of yummy food that I was exposed to as a child and continue to love eating today. Having said that, a lot of those dishes that my mum used to make can be accompanied by a good sambal. There are many different types including dried shrimp/prawn, belacan, salted fish, anchovy and the list goes on. Today we are making a dried shrimp/prawn sambal that I have come up with from numerous recipes over the years. It is great to store in the fridge and can be eaten with dishes like Nasi Lemak, noodles or rice. If you are new or old to chilli, just reduce or increase the chilli quantities to your palate and you should enjoy the flavour like I do. 

Tamarind paste, kaffir lime leaves, fresh & dried chilli and dried shrimps

10 dried chillies
3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
100 grams dried shrimp
3-4 shallots, peeled (I have used 1/2 a brown onion as that's all I had)
1 fresh chilli, cut in half
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
50grams + 10grams vegetable oil (e.g. canola)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon sugar
salt to taste (I used a small sprinkle)

1. Soak dried chillies in hot water. Set aside.
2. Hand cut kaffir lime leaves and set aside. I find that with this small amount of leaves, the Thermomix does not chop them evenly so I prefer this way.
3. Place shrimp into TM bowl. Chop 9-10secs / speed 6-7. Set aside. This step is optional if you are using very small shrimp. However, mine were quite large and I don't want the sambal too chunky.

Chopped dried shrimp

4. Place dried chillies, fresh chilli, shallot & garlic into TM bowl. Chop 3secs/ speed 6. Be careful when you open the lid as a waft of chilli will hit your face. If you're sensitive like me, you'll start coughing! When you've recovered, scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Add 50 grams vegetable oil to TM bowl and saute 5mins/ varoma/ speed 1.
6. Add tamarind, salt, sugar and dried shrimp to TM bowl. Cook 8-10mins/ varoma/ Stir speed/ reverse. Check the sambal about halfway through and you may need to pause and scarpe down the sides of the bowl. Cooking time will depend on how 'dry' you like you sambal. If you like it drier, cook further in 5 minute lots until desired texture is created.
7. Add in the kaffir lime leaves and cook a further 5 minutes. If required, add another 10grams of oil. Cook 5mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
8. Store in sterilised, dry jars in the fridge.

Makes about 180-200 grams.

Bon Appetit xx